Lasse Wellander, longtime guitarist for ABBA, has died at 70, the band confirmed in a press release on Monday (April 10). A second assertion was posted to Wellander’s official Fb web page, and revealed that he handed away on Friday, April 7, as a result of most cancers.
“Lasse was an expensive good friend, a enjoyable man and an excellent guitarist. The significance of his inventive enter within the recording studio in addition to his rock strong guitar work on stage was immense,” band members Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Frida (Anni-Frid) Lyngstad wrote in an Instagram publish that includes the late guitarist.
ABBA concluded its Instagram assertion by including, “We mourn his tragic and untimely loss of life and bear in mind the sort phrases, the sense of humour, the smiling face, the musical brilliance of the person who performed such an integral function within the ABBA story. He might be deeply missed and by no means forgotten.”
A press release on the late artist’s Fb web page was additionally remembered the guitarist. “It’s with indescribable disappointment that we now have to announce that our beloved Lasse has fallen asleep. Lasse just lately fell in poor health in what turned out to be unfold most cancers and early on Good Friday he handed away, surrounded by his family members,” the message learn. “You had been an incredible musician and humble as few, however above all you had been an exquisite husband, father, brother, uncle and grandfather. Form, secure, caring and loving … and a lot extra, that can not be described in phrases. A hub in our lives, and it’s unbelievable that we now need to reside on with out you.”
Whereas Wellander was not part of ABBA’s core lineup, he served because the group’s lead guitarist for many years, beginning in 1974, and performed on a number of of ABBA’s recordings, reside concert events and excursions in 1975, 1977, 1979 and 1980. Most just lately, Wellander’s guitar taking part in appeared on ABBA’s 2021 album, Voyage, which hit No. 2 on the Billboard 200.
Wellander additionally had a collection of musical endeavors exterior of ABBA, first relationship again to 1968 and his teenage years whereas taking part in in Peps & Blues High quality, which later reformed to turn out to be Nature with Mats Ronander as its singer and harmonica participant. (When Nature disbanded in 1977, Wellander and Ronander teamed as much as type Wellander & Ronander.)
Different teams the guitarist performed in included Zkiffz (1980), Little Mike and the Candy Soul Music Band (1983–1986), Stockholm All Stars (1985–1988), Low Finances Blues Band (1983–1994) and the Vikings (2004). Wellander recorded solo music of his personal by way of the Seventies to Nineteen Nineties, and went on a hiatus of creating his personal materials till 2017, when he launched a number of singles and an album, Lasse Wellander 2017/2018. His newest solo launch was single “O Come, All Ye Trustworthy” in November of 2022.
